A.B. Quintanilla III

For an extended period Abraham Quintanilla III held a prominent position within Latin pop, working chiefly as a seasoned producer yet also recognized as Selena’s brother, a creator of chart successes, and a divisive provocateur. His own recording path opened in tandem with his sister’s when Selena y los Dinos appeared in 1984, the initial entry in a series of albums he would both produce and help compose. As her visibility increased, so did his own; after her 1995 murder ended that ascent, he stepped away from public view for a time, occasionally supplying material for artists such as Thalía and Olga Tañón. His return to major visibility came in 1999 through A.B. Quintanilla y los Kumbia Kings, a bilingual ensemble that merged Mexican cumbia with American hip-hop, funk, R&B, and reggae before overlaying a polished pop finish. Billed or later presented under Quintanilla’s name, the collective generated numerous hits and reached the top of the charts regularly after its first release. Internal fractures surfaced after the fourth album, 4 (2003), when core members including Frankie J and DJ Kane departed acrimoniously to launch independent careers, repeatedly citing lessons learned about “the business” in interviews. Observers inferred disputes over compensation, given Quintanilla’s history of co-writing credits whose origins were contested without final resolution. Regardless of such characterizations, his production and songwriting acumen repeatedly yielded commercial results, as Los Kumbia Kings sustained momentum after the departures and, following a second monetary conflict, he quickly achieved comparable success with the newly formed Kumbia All Starz.

Born December 13, 1963, in Toppenish, Washington, Abraham Quintanilla III, also known as A.B. Quintanilla, spent his childhood in Lake Jackson, Texas, alongside sisters Selena and Suzette. His father, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., is Mexican-American; his mother, Marcella Ophelia Zamora, is Mexican-Native American. Selena would become a celebrated yet ultimately tragic tejano figure, initially fronting Selena y los Dinos, whose roster also featured Suzette, Abraham, guitarist Chris Pérez (later Selena’s husband), and keyboardist Ricky Vela, a frequent co-writer. Performances took place at the family’s Papagallos restaurant until its closure forced bankruptcy and the loss of their home. The family then transported their equipment in an aging bus to Corpus Christi near the Texas-Mexico border, playing wherever opportunities arose.

A recording agreement with Freddie Records, the independent label owned by Freddie Martinez, led to the 1984 self-titled debut. A decade afterward the label issued Mis Primeras Grabaciones (1995), a reconfigured collection containing several English-language tracks reflecting the family’s primary language. Quintanilla and his father produced the album and he contributed two songs. He continued in those roles for Alpha and Muñequito de Trapo, both issued by GP Records in 1986. One composition, “Dame un Beso,” achieved modest success and helped Selena receive a Hispanic Music Award as Female Vocalist of the Year plus two Tejano Music Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and Performer of the Year. And the Winner Is… (1987), another GP release, capitalized on the acclaim accorded the fifteen-year-old singer. The final independent projects, Preciosa and Dulce Amor on RP Records in 1988, earned further recognition, including a Tejano Music Awards nomination for Quintanilla in the Songwriter of the Year category.

Selena’s rising tejano profile prompted EMI Latin to sign her; the 1989 self-titled album marked her debut for the label and the last under the Los Dinos billing. Quintanilla produced and co-wrote it with Pete Astudillo, who, like Vela, would collaborate on nearly all subsequent Selena material before pursuing a solo path. Mis Primeros Éxitos (1990) assembled re-recorded earlier hits for EMI, while Ven Conmigo (1990) became her first gold-certified album, propelled in part by the enduring “Baila Esta Cumbia” written by Quintanilla and Astudillo. Entre a Mi Mundo (1992) proved even stronger, featuring the signature Quintanilla/Astudillo single “Como la Flor.” Live (1993), captured in Corpus Christi and produced by Quintanilla, won a Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album; Mis Mejores Canciones: 17 Super Exitos (1993) compiled prior EMI highlights. Amor Prohibido (1994) crossed into mainstream success, generating multiple number-one singles and displacing Gloria Estefan’s Mi Tierra from the top of the Top Latin Albums chart for a record 78 weeks. On March 31, 1995, Selena was murdered at age twenty-three by Yolanda Saldívar, president of her fan club.

Devastated, Quintanilla had been preparing an English-language crossover project with his sister; the resulting Dreaming of You (1995) combined unfinished tracks with previously released material. He withdrew from active music-making, resurfacing intermittently as co-writer on Thalía’s “Amandote” (1995), Cristian’s “Esperándote” (1996), and Olga Tañón’s “Siempre en Mi Corazón” (1997), and as producer of much of Veronica Castro’s Tocada (1997) alongside Juan Manuel. At decade’s end he launched A.B. Quintanilla y los Kumbia Kings. The expansive original lineup, frequently uncredited and reportedly undercompensated, comprised Quintanilla on bass and background vocals, DJ Kane (Jason Cano) on lead vocals, Frankie J (Francisco Javier Bautista) on lead vocals, Baby Drew (Andrew Maes) on lead vocals, Cruz Martinez on keyboards, Alex Ramirez on keyboards, Roy Ramirez on percussion and background vocals, Frankie Aranda on percussion, Jorge Peña on percussion, Jesse Martinez on drums, and Robert del Moral on drums. Martinez and the Ramirez brothers had previously performed with Tony Guerrero in La Sombra.

The group’s EMI Latin debut, Amor, Familia y Respeto… (1999), featured additional writing by Vela and Luigi Giraldo, a longtime studio associate. Guest contributors included Sheila E., Vico C, Roger Troutman, Nu Flavor, Fito Olivares, and Ricardo Muñoz of Intocable. Singles such as “Azúcar,” “Fuiste Mala,” “Se Fue Mi Amor,” “Reggae Kumbia,” “Te Quiero a Ti,” and “U Don't Love Me” propelled the album into the Top Ten of the Top Latin Albums chart and earned Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations for Best Tejano Performance plus a Billboard Latin Music Award nomination for Album of the Year by a Group; it won Billboard’s Album of the Year by a New Artist. Shhh! (2001) debuted at number two and reached number one, with Cruz Martinez assuming primary co-writing duties alongside Giraldo and Quintanilla. Further hits emerged—“Think'n About U,” “Shhh!,” “Boom Boom,” “Mi Gente,” “Insomnio,” “Desde Que No Estás Aquí”—prompting the remix collection All Mixed Up (2002).

While that remix set sustained interest via “La Cucaracha,” 4 (2003) assembled an even larger roster of guests including Juan Gabriel, El Gran Silencio, Aleks Syntek, and Ozomatli, again topping charts. Standout tracks “No Tengo Dinero” and “Don't Wanna Try” emerged, followed by the English-language overview A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Kumbia Kings (2003) and the Spanish-language La Historia (2003). Departures soon followed, with most members citing inadequate compensation; DJ Kane later prevailed in a lawsuit for $100,000. Public statements from the exiting musicians, among them Frankie J and DJ Kane, framed their time with the group as an education in “the business.” Those two launched successful solo careers, while Andrew “Baby Drew” Maes, Alex Ramirez, Roy Ramirez, and Frankie Aranda formed K1 (Kingz 1) and released Nuestro Turno (2004), emphasizing exhaustive songwriting credits.

Quintanilla rebuilt with new lead vocalist Pee Wee González (Irvin Salinas) plus additional replacements, among them brother-in-law Chris Pérez and former Menudo member Abel Talamantez. Los Remixes 2.0 (2004) introduced several new recordings, including a modest-charting cover of Menudo’s “Sabes a Chocolate.” The refreshed lineup was formally presented on Fuego (2004), which also showcased Belinda on “Quien” and Noel Schajris of Sin Bandera on “Parte de Mi Corazón.” Pee Wee’s “Na Na Na (Dolce Niña)” became a prolonged hit. Subsequent compilations appeared, among them Duetos (2005), which collected prior guest tracks and added fresh Selena remakes plus the Ricardo Montaner co-write “Don't Cry Mama.” A CD/DVD edition of Fuego incorporated “Sabes a Chocolate,” “Baila Esta Cumbia,” and a live “Na Na Na (Dolce Niña),” while Kumbia Kings Live (2006) documented the updated roster.

Despite Kumbia Kings Live receiving a Latin Grammy for Best Tropical Regional Mexican Album and Pee Wee’s established draw, a public dispute erupted between Quintanilla and Cruz Martinez, the sole remaining original members, centering on financial issues and aired on Univision’s Cristina. Quintanilla departed to form Kumbia All Starz, taking Pee Wee, Pérez, and Giraldo with him; the remainder stayed with Martinez. The new ensemble debuted on Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz (2006), highlighted by the multi-version single “Chiquilla.”

Concurrently, an airport-filmed YouTube clip showed Quintanilla criticizing Mexico City security and concluding with the phrase “f*cking Mexicans!”; he also used the “N” word in self-reference. Mexican media amplified the footage, prompting condemnation from Mexico’s ANDA and Mexican-American artists including Los Tigres del Norte. The backlash led to the Kumbia All Starz being booed in Monterrey. Quintanilla issued an apology, yet skepticism persisted amid prior character allegations. Stateside sales remained unaffected: the album reached number two, “Chiquilla” charted for months, and Pee Wee retained his fanbase. After four studio albums and one live set, the Kumbia All Starz disbanded in 2014. Quintanilla resumed production and writing for others while preparing a new project. In June 2016 he announced a Del Records signing and the formation of A.B. Quintanilla y Elektro Kumbia, an eight-piece ensemble blending Latin pop, electro, cumbia, reggaeton, and merengue for dance-floor appeal. The tropical-pop preview “Pina Colada Shot” and the urban-cumbia “La Aventura” featuring Saga y Sonyc preceded the self-titled full-length issued at the end of June 2017, which received strong critical notices.